Spring assembly and retaining means for the zigzag spring strips therefor



P" 1955 H. c. FLINT ETAL 2, 05,527

SPRING ASSEMBLY AND RETAINING MEANS FOR THE ZIGZAG SPRING STRIPS THEREFOR Filed Sept. 5, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l FTTJFNEVS,

April 5, 1955 H. c. FLINT EI'AL 2,705,527

SPRING ASSEMBLY AND RETAINING MEANS FOR THE ZIGZAG SPRING STRIPS THEREFOR Filed Sept. 5, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. E i f/ 740d C 7/2/15;

HTT'OF/VEMS United States Patent SPRING ASSEMBLY AND RETAINING MEANS FOR THE ZIGZAG SPRING STRIPS THEREFOR Hyland C. Flint, Birmingham, and Sharon E. Kime, De-

troit, Mich., assignors to American Metal Products Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application September 5, 1950, Serial No. 183,136 Claims. (Cl. 155-179) This invention relates to spring constructions, and particularly to a support for retaining spring strips in predetermined position and relation to each other.

Various types of structures have been employed heretofore for mounting zigzag spring strips upon a frame to provide a cushion spring assembly. Various types of border and base elements having channels therein were utilized for receiving and anchoring the free ends of the strip. As development proceeded in this type of spring art, various forms have been given to the spring strips for producing soft edge constructions and constructions having a predetermined support medially of the edge. As the form of the spring has changed, the form of the supporting clip in a like manner has changed, as is evident from the supporting clip illustrated, described and claimed in the copending application of Richard J. Williams et a1. Serial No. 113,804, filed September 2, 1949, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, which has now issued into Patent No. 2,526,184 on October 17, 1950.

In some constructions a rectangular frame was employed made of tubing to which strips containing the clips were secured. In the present invention the top and two sides of the frame are made of tubular construction, while the fourth or bottom side is made from a sheet of material having the holding clips for the springs incorporated therein. The strip may be of substantial width and incorporate the tabs to which the upholstery material is secured.

Accordingly, the main objects of the invention are: to provide a frame support for springs having three sides thereof made of a formed tubular element and a fourth side made from a stamping having spring-supporting clips thereon; to form one side of a frame from a strip having spring-supporting clips thereon for anchoring one portion of the spring and when the strip is of substantial width to incorporate tabs to which the upholstery material may be secured, and, in general, to provide a frame support for formed zigzag springs which is simple in construction, economical of manufacture and which positively retains the strips in secured position.

Other objects and features of novelty of the invention will be specifically pointed out or will become apparent when referring, for a better understanding of the invention, to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a seat having a frame thereon for supporting zigzag springs in a manner embodying features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of springs assembled on a frame as employed in the back cushion of the seat illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 2, taken on the line 33 thereof;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 3, as viewed from the line 44 thereof;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 3, as viewed from the line 55 thereof;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 4, taken on the line 6-6 thereof;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 2, taken on the line 7-7 thereof;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view of the seat cushion illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged plan view of the structure illus trated in Fig. 8, as viewed from line 9-9 thereof;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 9, taken on the line 10-10 thereof;

Fig. 11 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 9, taken on the line 11--11 thereof;

Fig. 12 is an enlarged broken view of the structure of Fig. 3 taken at the bottom thereof, and

Fig. 13 is a view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 12 after upholstery material has been applied thereto.

Referring to the figures, a seat 12 is illustrated, having an upholstered seat cushion 13 and an upholstered back cushion 14. The back cushion is illustrated in Figs. 2 to 7 inclusive as comprising a frame 15 constructed from a tubular element formed to provide sides 16 and 17 and a top portion 18. While the two sides and top portion of the spring supporting frame are herein illustrated as being constructed from a tubular element, it is to be understood that the sides and top may be constructed from formed or rolled sheet material as is the common practice in the art. Across the bottom near the ends of the side portion 16 and 17 of the frame 15, a stamping 19 is provided, having rolled end portions 21 which extend around the sides 16 and 17 of the tubular frame element and are directly welded thereto. It is to be understood that when the frame element 15 is made of formed sheet material that the ends of the stamping 19 are directly welded thereto in a similar manner.

The stamping 19, as illustrated more particularly in Figs. 2 and 3, has a central web portion 22, a frontwardly sloping flange portion 23 and a reversely bent top flange portion 24. These flange portions 23 and 24 blend in with the web portion 22 to form the rolled end portions 21 at the sides 16 and 17. At the bot tom, the stamping 19 is extended downwardly and formed forwardly to provide a. web 25 which is flanged upwardly at 26 to produce additional strength and a smooth edge over which the upholstery material may be drawn. The upholstery material is cut to form and stitched together along to top and sides and provided with welts 28 and 30 at the bottom rearward and forward edges respectively. The bag-like material thus formed is slid downwardly over the padded frame and spring assembly and secured at the bottom over tongues 27 struck downwardly from the web 25. The rearward edge is first forced over the tongues with the welt 28 disposed forwardly thereof after which the forward edge is forced over the tongues with the welt 30 disposed rearwardly thereof. When the tongues are bent rearwardly over the welt 30 as illustrated in Fig. 13 the welt 28 is securely locked in position and the upholstery material is secured in position on the frame. By employing the stamping 19 as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 the tubular rail portion at the bottom is eliminated, a channel portion 40 at the bottom of the stamping 19 formed by a flange 29, the web 25 and flange 26 function as the rail portion.

Within the web portion 22 of the stamping 19, a plurality of struck-out tongues 31 and 32 are provided in pairs for receiving and anchoring a loop of a zigzag spring strip 34. The zigzag spring strips are made of wire bent back and forth to provide adjacent oppositely presenting loops 35 and 36 which are joined by straight portions 37. The position of the tongues 31 and 32 is such that the tongue 31 engages one of the loops 35 or 36 while the tongue 32 engages an adjacent loop 35 or 36 for securing the spring strip 34 interjacent its ends to the stamping 19.

The spring, as illustrated in Fig. 3, is of unique formation, similar to that illustrated and described in the copending application of Hyland C. Flint, Serial No. 88,294, filed April 19, 1949, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The spring has a load supporting portion 38 terminating at the top in a V-shaped portion 39 which spaces the end 41 from the top portion 18 of the frame 15. The bottom edge 42 of the spring 34 is spaced from the stamping 19 by a reversely formed arcuate portion 43, the end 44 of which is secured to the load supporting portion 38 of the spring intermediate the ends thereof.

The loop 36 of the spring strip is secured at the point of tangency of the arcuate portion 43 with the stamping 19 so that each end of the load supporting portion of the 7 The tunnels and the tabs are formed in the frame element when the frame element is constructed of formed sheet material. These tunnels and struck-up portions are described more fully in the above mentioned patent to Richard I. Williams et al. The end 48 of a spring strip 34 is moved into the tunnel 46 through the open end thereof and the spring is then pivoted downwardly about the end 48 to be disposed forwardly of the tongue 47 which thereby securely anchors the end in position on the frame portion 18. The loop 36 is then inserted under the tab 31 and the loop 35 is then moved downwardly into engagement beneath the tab 32. The securement of the loop 36 by the tabs 31 and 32 anchors the arcuate portion 43 to the cross member 19 of the frame.

It will be noted from Fig. 7 that the tongue 31 has its forward end arched downwardly at 49 so that the space between the end and the plane of the web of the stamping 19 is less than the diameter of the wire of the spring 4 What is claimed is: l. A supporting frame for zigzag spring strips having a cross member, a pair of L-shaped tabs struck up from strip 34. In such an arrangement it is necessary to tilt v the loop 36 so that the arcuate portion of the loop end may project into a slot 51 from which the tongue 31 was lanced to move under the deflected end 49 of the tab 31 into a position beneath the tab. With such an arrangement there is no tendency of the spring to move out from engagement with the tab 31 unless it is unhooked from the tab 32 and raised so that the end of the loop 36 can deflect into the slot 31 and thereby pass beneath the end of the deflected portion 49 of the tab. The tab 32 is disposed parallel to the surface of the stamping 19 so as to permit the loop to slide directly therein.

In the construction thus described, the stamping 19 not only braces the lower side of the frame 15 which may be made from a tube or from formed sheet metal, but

the stamping also contains the pairs of tabs 31 and 32.

of tubular material having a stamped element secured thereto. The element has the tunnels 46 and the tabs 47 provided therein, or the frame element may be made from formed sheet steel embodying the tunnel and the tongue. Similarly, the rear cross frame member 53 may be made from a tubular element having a stamping 54 applied thereto, or when the cross frame member 53 is made of formed sheet material the stamped element 54 is incorporated directly therein. It will be noted that the frame member 53 is raised a substantial distance above the front frame member 52 and that the spring strips 55 spanning the frame members are of a form to provide open areas at the rear below the cross frame member 53 to provide toe room at the rear of the seat cushion. That portion of the frame element incorporating the stamping is provided with a pair of tongues 56 and 57 for supporting the end 58 of the zigzag spring strip 55. The tongue 57 is similar to the tongue 31 having a deflected end portion 59 struck from a slot 61 and spaced from the surface of the stamping 54 a distance less than the thickness of the wire of the springs 55. This makes it necessary to tilt the end of the spring 55 so that the loop portion 62 thereof can deflect into the slot 61 and thereby pass under the end 59 of the tab 57 when moved into nested relation therewith. The tongue 56 has a reversely formed locking camming end 63 into which the arcuate endportion 64 of the end 58 of the spring strip 55 may be moved to thereby securely anchor the end beneath the tab 56. In both of the supporting structures, a pair of tabs is employed, one of which has the end so deflected that the spring cannot be moved into engagement therewith when disposed in the plane of the stamping but must be tilted out of the plane to have a loop deflected into the slot from which the tab is formed in order to pass beneath the end. Thereafter, the opposite curved portion of the spring is received in the adjacent tongue so as to securely anchor the engaged portion of the spring to the stamping. As illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10, a locking camming end 63 may be provided on the end of the tab 56 to prevent the accidental release of 1. 9 .engaged P tion of the spring.

said cross member for engaging curved portions of the spring at opposite edges of the strip, said tabs being disposed to engage respectively opposite sides of the wire forming said strip, arranged in spaced relation to each other and projected at angular relation to each other so that one tab is directed away from a center line through the other tab, the end of one of said tabs being deflected toward the recess from which the tab was struck so as to have the distance between the deflected end and the plane of the cross member less than the thickness of th wire which is to be secured by the tab.

2. A supporting frame for zigzag spring strips having a cross member, a pair of L-shaped tabs struck up from said cross member for engaging curved portions of the spring at opposite edges of the strip, said tabs being disposed to engage respectively opposite sides of the wire forming said strip, arranged in spaced relation to each other and projected at angular relation to each other so that one tab is directed away from a center line through the other tab, the end of one of said tabs being deflected towards the recess from which the tab was struck so as to have the distance between the deflected end and the plane of the cross member less than the thickness of the wire which is to be secured by the tab, the adjacent tab having a portion spaced from the surface of the cross member for receiving the adjacent portion of the wire, said adjacent tab being shaped into the form of a locking detent for securing the portion of the wire of the spring received thereby.

3. A frame support for zigzag spring strips made of wire bent back and forth to provide adjacent oppositely directed loops joined by straight portions, said frame having a top, two side portions and a bottom portion, said bottom portion being made of sheet material having pairs of tabs struck therefrom for engaging curved portions of the spring at opposite edges of the strip, said tabs being disposed to engage respectively opposite sides of the wire forming said strip, each pair of tabs being employed for supporting a loop of a zigzag spring strip by the end portion thereof attached to the sheet material, said one tab having a downwardly presented end requiring the tipping of the loop into the slot from which the tab was struck in order to have it pass thereunder, the adjacent loop of the pair having a portion spaced from the surface of the sheet material for receiving a spaced portion of said loop, and being bent to form a locking end.

4. A metal member forming an element of a seat frame, said member having a flanged top edge and a rolled bottom edge, the web of the member between said edges having lanced out tongues disposed in a pair, the tongues of each pair being disposed at an angle to each other and positioned to have the attached ends thereof engage opposite portions of a zigzag spring strip for positively anchoring the strips to the member.

5. A metal member forming an element of a seat frame having a web from which a pair of lanced out tongues extends, said tongues being disposed at an angle to each other and positioned to have the attached ends thereof engage oppositely facing curved portions of a zigzag spring strip for positively anchoring the strip to the member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,724,946 MacInerney Aug. 20, 1929 2,072,562 Lee Mar. 2, 1937 2,107,446 Koliba Feb. 8, 1938 2,228,376 Weitzel Ian. 14, 1941 2,251,049 Haberstump July 29, 1941 2,260,190 Neely Oct. 21, 1941 2,264,006 Probst Nov. 25, 1941 2,311,145 Widman Feb. 16, 1943 2,332,041 Asaro Oct 19, 1943 2,341,419 Bank Feb. 8, 1944 2,526,184 Williams et al. Oct. 17, 1950 2,592,944 Neely Apr. 15, 1952 2,593,831 Bank Apr. 22, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 217,748 Great Britain June 26, 1924 

